Page:The librarians of Harvard College 1667-1877.djvu/16

10 LIBRARIANS OF HARVARD COLLEGE. position until 1079, meanwhile taking his second degree. His thesis on this occasion was on a medical subject. "An hepar sanguiflcet?" and not long after he seems to have begun the practice of medicine in Boston or Charlestown. Sewall in his Diary refers to him as a physician in Boston. The first of his six children by his wife Mariana was born in June, 1680. Sibley states that he died in 1692, apparently on the authority of Sav- age and of Mann's Historical annals of Dedham. The latter says (p. 86) " he seems from his Will (Suffolk Prob. Rec.) to have died in December, 1692." But an examination of these records shows that while the will was drawn 17 November, 1692, and the codicil added five days later, it was not admitted to probate until 6 June, 1694. That this latter year is the real date of his death is confirmed by an entry in the diary of Lawrence Hammond of Charlestown under 7 May, 1694 : "Dr Daniel Allen, a true Lover of his Country & most Loyal to the Crown of England, Learned, Wise. Humble pious, most true to his friend, the approved, able and beloved physician &c. Sickned Saturday the 28 th day of April in ye night, and dyed this day being Munday, to the universall griefe of all good men who were acquainted with his worth."

AUTHORITIES : Hammond, Diary (Mass. hist. soc. Pro- ceedings, 2d series, vii. 166). Hill, Record of baptisms, marriages, and deaths from church records of Dedham, 1888, p. 34; Record of births, marriages, and death* in the toirn of Dedham, 1886, p. 6. Mann, Historical annal of Dedham, 1847, p. 86. Professional and industrial history of Suffolk county, 1894, iii. 233. Savage, Geneal. diction- ary, 1860, i. 29, 40. Sibley, Harvard graduates, iii. 470. Suffolk county probate records, xiii. 437. Winthrop's inter- leaved triennial.

l679-l68l.

[See Daniel Gookin, above, p. 9.]

1681-1690.

John Cotton, the son of Rev. Seaborn Cotton, and grandson of the famous Rev. John Cotton of Boston, was born at Hampton, New Hampshire, 8 May, 1658. His mother, Dorothy Bradstreet, was the daughter of Governor Bradstreet and granddaughter of Governor Dudley. The son graduated at Harvard in 1678. His thesis is preserved by the Massachusetts Historical Society. In 1681 he in some way brought upon himself the displeasure of Rev. Increase Mather; and a kinsman, Joseph Dudley, wrote in alarm to Mather urging a reconciliation, lest this resentment should "tend to his utter ruine." After receiving his A.M. and while the College Librarian, 1681-1690, he preached from time to time. He was successful, it may be supposed, for Rev. Joshua Moody in 1683 wrote: "The people like his preaching very well."

Mr. Cotton was a Fellow from 1681 to 1090, and a tutor from 1681 to 1685. In 1682, "At a cor- poration meeting : Ordered that the double Books in the Col ledge Library be prized & sold & y e money improved for the buying other books y* are wanting." The same year the general court voted fifty pounds to Mr. Andrews and Mr. Cotton, fel- lows, they " hauing tooke much paynes & vsed much diligenc in carrying on the praesidents worke, since m r Oakes death." Rev. Increase Mather, acting president in 1685, had very little leisure from his duties in Boston to give to the college, and the money voted by the General Court that year for the president was to be applied by the Corporation " for the encouragement of such as have done the work." A share of this money came to John Cotton, who had, no doubt, been restored to favor. A letter by him and an official communication upon which his name ap- pears both relating to college business have been preserved in the " Mather papers." On August 17th, 1686, Mr. Cotton was married to Anne, daughter of Captain Thomas Lake of Boston. The next year he was invited to settle as pastor of his father's church at Hampton, but then and on later occasions declined. He con- tinued to preach at Hampton irregularly ; and for a time occupied the pulpit at Portsmouth during the absence of Mr. Moody, but refused to be settled there. After repeated solicitation Mr. Cotton accepted a call to the church in Hamp- ton, and was ordained 19 November, 1696. From a membership of twenty-five the church grew rapidly, until his labors were terminated by his sudden death, 27 March, 1710. His widow, the mother of his eight children, afterwards married Rev. Increase Mather. Sewall refers to the "dreadful news" of Mr. Cotton's death, and in speaking of him on the Lord's day following, gave him " a very august character." Mr. Cotton published a wedding sermon in 1699. His qualities, as noted by contemporary writers, are very attractive, even allowing for the partiality of friends. He was said to be " one who had very much of the Gentleman in him," catholic, schol- arly, hospitable, entertaining and sweet tempered. AUTHORITIES: Harvard Corporation Records. Mass, hist. soc. Collections, 1st series, 1809, x. 45, 4th series, 1868, viii. 246, 359, 482, 522, 656, 5th series, 1879, vi. 276-278, 301; Proceedings, 1857, iii. 133. Jf. E. hist, and geneal. reg., 1847, i. 164, 326; 1855, ix. 164. Sibley, Harvard graduates, 1885, iii. 2-5.

1690-1693.

Henry Newman, who was born 10 November, 1670, was the son of Rev. Noah Newman of Rehoboth, and his wife, Joanna Flynt. Graduating from Harvard in 1687, he began in the year in